Stitching line guiding device



March 25, 1958 13, DE us 2,827,868

STITCHING LINE GUIDING DEVICE Filed Jan. 30, 1957 01% w I 12*t IS'I llql la| i1 r2llI|I1|l1 EL/ZABE TH HEM/S 0E BUS INVENTOR.v

United States Patent 2,827,868 STITCHING LINE GUIDING DEVICE Elizabeth Bemis De Bus, Santa Monica, Calif., assignor to Berni Enterprises, Van Nuys, Calif., 21 copartnershrp Application January 30, 1957, Serial No. 637,321 3Claims. (Cl. 112-151) This invention finds general utility in the field of sewing machine attachments and relates specifically to a stitching line guiding device adapted for removably mounting on a leg of a sewing machine pressure foot. This specification is a continuation-in-part of my copending application, Serial No. 545,745, filed November 8, 1955, now abandoned.

Operators of sewing machines have long experienced difiiculty in connection with the sewing of seams and the like where a stitching line is positioned a considerable distance from an edge or a fold or some other line in the fabric on which the work is being performed. Such a situation is encountered in the provision of hems and the like'in skirts, coats, dresses and like garments. In such instances, it is the usual practice to fold a length of material back over the remainder thereof and thereafter sew the inner edge of the folded portion in place. Determination of the distance between a stitching line and the edge or fold of the fabric is first established with the device of this invention providing an indication as to the width of the folded section while stitching is being accomplished in order that uniformity in such width may be maintained throughout the length of the seam being stitched. Heretofore, many similar structures have been designed and utilized for the same purpose in connection with sewing machines. However, all of these prior devices have had serious disadvantages and have created problems that were undesirable from an overall point of view, and when utilized as a universal type attachment. For example, prior known structures designed to accomplish a similar purpose have been extremely rigid. They have been complex. They have required removable attachment means such as screws, bolts or the like. And they have either been difiicult to attach to existing components of the sewing machine or have not been of a nature permitting universal use with all sewing machines.

Because such prior structures have been rigid, such structures frequently caught in the material on which the work was being performed and either tore the material or produced inadvertent and undesirable movement thereof in a-manner to interfere with accurate positioning for stitching. In circumstances where screws, bolts, and clamps have been utilized to secure the attachment to a portion of the sewing machine, further difliculties were encountered. For example, due to undesirable wear in screw threads, difficulty has been experienced in securing a tight engagement. Furthermore, such devices have often required tools for use in tightening and removing the attachment means from the sewing machine. In addition, in many instances, manufacturers of sewing machines have designed complex and cumbersome structures for accomplishing a similar purpose, such structures being applicable only to the particular manufacturers machine, thus necessitating separately designed 2,827,868 Patented Mar. 25, 1958 Ice - 2 apparatus for each difierent make and even for difierent models of sewing machines.

In addition to the ditficulties mentioned hereinbefore as experienced with prior similar structures, it. is well known that attachments for sewing machines have been expensive beyond amounts commensurate with the value and frequency of use thereof. Such expense hasbeen due primarily to the difficulties in machining, cutting, and otherwise manufacturing the numerous components of the attachments.

Accordingly, it is one important object of the present invention to provide a stitching line guiding device that is inexpensive in manufacture, easily attached and used in connection with any known types of sewing machines, and is extremely simple in construction as well as being reliable in operation.

It is another important object of the presentinven: tion to provide a stitching line guiding device having components formed from a resilient material in order to pre vent tearing or other damage to material on which work is being performed. 7

his a further object of the invention to provide a novel stitching line guiding device including only a pair of components that may be easily and inexpensively manufactured. It is also an object of theinvention to provide a novel stitching line guiding device that includes a pair of adjustable securing means that are frictionally opera ble.

Other and further important objects of the invention will become apparent from the disclosures in the following detailed specification, appended claims and accom-f. panying drawing, wherein:

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing the stitching line guiding device of this invention as attached tojand in use with a sewing machine pressure foot;

With reference to the drawing, the stitching line guid- 1 ing device 10 of this invention is shown operatively asso-: ciated with a sewing machine S having the usual bifurcated pressure foot P supported at the lower end of the cylindrical leg or post G. The sewing machine is pro vided with a needle-carrying stitching head H that reciprocates vertically during stitching. The fabric, indicated at M and on which work is to be performed, is adapted to rest upon a suitable table T, with the fabric being folded back upon itself, to provide the :hem or the like,

a stitching line L being established to secure the free edge of the folded portion of the material to therem-aindot of the material. The distance between the stitching line L and the folded portion of the material M is established and regulated by use of the present sewing machine attachment device. a

With reference primarily to Figui-es 1 and 2., the device. 10 includes a block body 11 that is made as an integral. article from any suitable flexible material. It has been found that certain plastic materials, such as, for example, polyethylene or the like, aresuitable for the present t purpose; The block' body 11 has connected thereto a metering or indicator member 12 which is also made from similar plastic material in order to provide the desired resiliency.

As shown in Figure 2, the block body 11 includes an integrally formed aperture 13 which may be formed generally of a rectangular shape to resiliently accept the shank portion 14 of the indicator member 12. The body 11 is further formed with a vertically disposed bore 18,

leaving the latter attachment body 11 opposite the aperture 13. Accordingly, walls of the bore 18 define a vertical passage 21, having a nar-' row opening on one side thereof. The resiliency of the material of the block'body ll'enables ready attachment of the block to the cylindrical leg G'above the sewing machine pressure foot P. It may be seen that it is necessary only to exert'pressure in the area of the aperture 13 to force the block body over the cylindrical leg G that is thereafter closely confined in the bore 18. Due to the resilient characteristics of the plastic material employed, the block body 11 will be adjustably secured in position and retained about: the leg G until deliberate 'efiort is made for movement thereof. The specific rectangular configuration of the block 11 provides for considerable rigidity'thereof in areas where most necessary and permits the relatively small size thereof. To render the block adaptable for rigid mounting on standardpressure foot legs G, the diameter of the bore ismade about 0.275" and the length of the block is made about The width of'the slit at the side of the bore is about A3. Thus, the block may be readily slipped over and retained on a leg having a diameter of about 0.257 and a length of at least about /2".

' Theindicator member 12 includes a relatively thin elongated horizontally disposed shank portion 14 that is generally rectangular in cross-section and adapted for close confinement within the aperture 13 of the block body. The indicator member 12 is further provided'with a downwardly extending integral portion 23 that is pointed at its lower end'24.- At least one side of the elongated shank portion 14 of the indicator member is provided with suitable indicia 25 in order that the horizontal distance of the pointed end 24 from the axis of the pressure foot leg G may be known at a glance. in the best arrangement such indicia are placed on both sides so that the device maybe used with the pointer either to the right or to the left of the user.

It may be seen that the indicator member 12 is fric tionally engaged in the aperture 13 and that the pointed end 24 may be disposed as desired at varying distances from the block 11. Additionally, it may be seen that the cross sectional configuration ofthe indicator member is such as to enable flexing thereof upon inadvertent engagement of the pointed end 24 with the material M. Furthermore, theshank portion 14 of the indicator 12 may be torsionally deformed without damage either to'.

the present attachment device or to the fabric material.

Figure illustrates a modification to my invention wherein block body 11 includes an integrally formed tab or arm portion 30 that is connected to the generally rectangular body 31 by means of an integral interconnecting bridge portion 32 at the lower end thereof. Thus,.the tab portion 30 defines a groove, or slot-like aperture, 33 between the inner surface of the tab and one side wall 34 of the body 31, this groove or aperture being open at the upper end thereof. Otherwise, body 11 is formed with bore 18 as described in connection with Figure 2. In this modification, indicator i2 is closely confined in groove 33 but may be quickly and entirely separated from block 11,

secured to leg G.

It may thus be seen that manufactured, that the block 11 may be cast or molded as desired and that the indicator member 12 may be easily stamped from sheet material or molded, these various described operations being by way of example and all extremely inexpensive as compared with processes and the present device is easily 35. in said flat rectangular aperture and r 4 manufacturing techniques heretofore necessary in the manufacture of prior stitching line guiding devices.

Havingthus described the invention and the present embodiment thereof, it is desired to emphasize the fact that many modifications may be made therein without departing from the invention as defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. A stitching line position guiding device adapted for use with a sewing machine having a pressure foot at the lower end of a vertical leg, said device comprising in combination a generally rectangular block of resilient plastic material, an elongated substantially cylindrical bore extending generally vertically through said block, the axis of said bore being spaced from one side of said block by a distance less than the radius of said bore whereby said bore intersects said one side of said block thereby to efiect an elongated vertical slot having resilient edges comprising integral portions of said block, the width of said slot being less than the diameter of said bore, said block being adapted to be resiliently and frictionally clamped on said vertical leg by forcing said vertical leg past said resilient slot'e'dges until said generally vertical bore embraces said vertical leg, said block having a generally flat rectangular aperture integrally formed therein at a position remote from said slot, said rectangular aperture being disposedv adjacent the side of said block opposite to said one side and extending through said block in a generally horizontal direction in a plane substantially parallel to the plane of said one side, an L-shaped indicator member comprising an elongated fiat rectangular shank portion and a relatively shorter pointer portion at right angles thereto, said shank portion being disposed extending in a generally horizontal direction, said shank portion being constructed of a resilient plastic material and being adapted for adjustable horizontal positioning and frictional retention in said aperture in said'block, said fiat rectangular shank portion having positioning indicia thereon, said pointer portion comprising a downwardly extending integral portion of said indicator member positioned adjacent one'end of said shank portion, said pointer portion also being constructed of the resilient material comprising said shank portion, the lowermost end of said pointer portion adapted to be positioned above the plane of said pressure foot when said block is clamped on said vertical leg whereby said lowermost pointer end is free of material being sewed by said sewing machine.

2. The structure of claim 1 wherein said rectangular aperture has two open sides opening into two opposite sides of said'block member for slidably receiving said shank member, the other sides of said rectangular aperture being confined within said block.

3. The structure of claim 1 wherein said rectangular aperture. has three open sides respectively opening into three different sides of said block member.

References Cited in the file of this patent I UNITED STATES PATENTS 883,532 Fose Mar. 31, 1908 900,070 7 Greist Sept. 29, 1903 946,485 Boyd Jan. 11, 1910 r 1,244,201 Halme Oct. 23, 1917 2,292,140 Lofgren Aug. 4, 1942 2,658,297 Woolsey Nov. 10, 1953 

